Improvement in harvesters



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. S. ROYCE.

Harvester. No. 204,614. Patented June 4,1878.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harvester. No. 204,614. Patented June 4,1878.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. S. ROYCE. Harvester. No. 204,614. Patented June 4, 1878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN S. ROYCE, OF OUYLERVILLE, NEW YORK.

lM PROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,614, dated June 4,1878; application filed June 2, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN SEARs RovcE, of Ouylerville, in the county ofLivingston and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Harvesters and Harvester-Rakes, of which the followingis a specification My invention more especially relates to that class ofharvesters having one driving-wheel, and constitutes an improvement uponthe machine shown in Letters Patent of the United States numbered148,326 and 148,327, granted to me March 1.0, 1874.

The subject-matter claimed is hereinafter specifically designated.

The accompanying drawings represent my improvements adapted to such amachine in the best way now known to me but obviously some of them maybe used without the others, and in machines difiering in constructionand organization from the one therein shown.

Figure 1 represents a plan, and Fig. 2 afront elevation, partly insection, on the line 1 1 of Fig. 1, of so much of my improved machine asis necessary to illustrate the subjectmatter herein claimed Fig. 3,arear elevation, showing the inner end of the finger-beam and thedevices by which it is adjustably connected with the drive-Wheel andmain frame; and Fig. 4, a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

The drive-wheel A has a tubular stud-axle, a, turning freely inside of asleeve, 12, forming part of the main frame-plate B, to which the tongue0 is bolted at the level of the drivingaxle.

A foot-board, c, mounted on the tongue,projects across the face of andbeyond the drivewheel. A post, D, secured upon the frameplate inside ofthe driving-wheel, supports a horizontal beam, D, projecting over andbeyond the driving-wheel, on which the drivers seat E is mounted. Thedriver is thus brought outside of the plane of the driving-wheel, so asto counterbalance the weight of the gearing.

Atrunnion, f, rocks in bearings in the frameplate B. A finger-bar, Gr,of well-known construction, carries on its inner or heel end abifurcated bracket, G, through holes in which a vertical rod or rockingbar, H, passes, as well as through the rocking trunnion, thus unitingthe fin ger-beam to the main frame.

The upper end of the rocking bar H plays backward and forward, in aplane parallel with the face of the driving-wheel, in the guide-slot dinthe seat-frame. A link-rod, h, connects the upper end of this rockingbar with a rocking crank, h, mounted on the overhanging seat bar orsupport D, and controlled by a hand-lever, h, provided with the usualspringdetent, acting on a sector-rack on the seat-support.

In my patents above mentioned the fingerbeam was rocked by a hand-leverattached directly to the top of the rocking bar; but as in the presentarrangement the drivers seat is located farther outside of thedriving-Wheel than in the arrangement shown in those patents, theorganization above described enables the driver to rock the finger-beamwithout having to reach over in an inconvenient position, where he mightbe struck by the rake-teeth in their revolution.

The finger-beam is raised and lowered by means of a chain, 4, attachedto the fingerbeam and to a hand-lever, I, pivoted on the seat-frame postD, and held by the usual ratchet, the rocking bar H sliding freelyendwise through its rocking trunnion to accommodate this movement. Thebifurcated bracket also slides freely up and down on the rockingbar.

The pressure of the cutting apparatus upon the ground may be varied byinterposing a spring between the rocking trunnion and the upper memberof the bracket, as shown in my patents above mentioned.

A drag-bar or brace, g, connects the tongue with the inner shoe of thefinger-beam in a well-known way.

The divider end of the cutting apparatus is supported by an adjustablegrain-wheel, K, adjustable in well-known ways. The axle of thissupporting-wheel is in the same vertical plane as that of thedriving-Wheel. This part of the machine is fully described in my patentsabove mentioned, and need not be dwelt upon in detail here.

The driving-wheel A carries upon it a pawl, l, engaging with the ratchetL upon a short shaft, 1, turning freely inside the tubular axle of thedriving-wheel, and connected with and driving a tumbling-shaft, L, ofwell-known construction. This shaft drives a gear-wheel,

M, having a solid plate to exclude dust on one side, its open faceworking in close contact with the adjacent vertical portion of a frame,N, which supports the gearing and raking mechanism. This gear-wheelcarries both an internal gear spur-wheel, m, and a bevel-gear, m. Theformer engages with the spur-pinion 0 on a counter-shaft, o, carrying abevel-gear, O, and driving a bevel pinion and crankwheel, P, preferablycast in one piece, which drive the cutters by a crank and pitman, asusual.

It will be observed that the rake-supporting and gear-inclosing box-likeor hollow frame N is mounted upon the finger-beam, so that all the partspartake of the movements of the latter.

It will also be noted that the crank-wheel and bevel-pinion P arelocated between the bevel-wheel 0 and the internal gear spurwheel m,directly underneath the rake-dri vin g mechanism, being attached to thegear-frame and revolving on a stud-shaft, which, so far as I am aware,is a new and useful organization, as it keeps the crank-wheel andcutters in a uniform relation, which cannot be disturbed either intilting, raising, or lowering the cutting apparatus, and also enablesthe pit.- man to be brought nearly down to the level of the cuttingapparatus without liability to interference from the standing crops orfrom clogging matter.

The bevel-gear m, above described, upon the tumbling-shaft, drives theordinary crownwheel Q, upon which the reel and rake ar-ms R R R R aremounted.

The general construction and arrangement of these rake-arms are similarto that shown in my Letters Patent above mentioned; but in this instancethe rake-arms are connected together in pairs by links 1', so that inpassing around past the drivers seat the rakes and heaters are held uppositively out of the way of the driver, and a lever or outside guideway or cam-track is dispensed with.

The rake-arms are combined with a single cam, S, located wholly aboveand inside of the pivots of the rake-arms, with links passing across andover the cam.

The gearing which drives the cutters, it will be observed, is protectedby the combined frame and casing N, provided with a hinged door, N, (seedotted lines, Fig. 2,) which permits access to the gear while excludingdirt and clogging matter therefrom.

A series of short spring teeth or bars, T, independently and rigidlysecured at their respective front ends upon the platform or fin gerbeamjust back of the cutting apparatus, and proj ectinghorizontall ybackward over the platform, serve to hold up the falling grain, so as toenable the teeth of the rake readily to enter the fallen grainpreparatory to sweeping it upon,over, and from the platform, whichmethod I have found in practice to be a better way than to let the cutgrain fall directly upon the solid platform itself.

The teeth, it will be observed, are curved horizontally to conform tothe path traversed by the rake in sweeping over the platform.

I am aware that a series of long straight bars, similar to adropper-platform, has been used with springs beneath to accommodate themovements of a rake revolving on a horizontal axis and sweeping oversaid bars, and do not claim such a device, which differs essentiallyfrom mine, in which I employ a series of short spring-teeth,independently butrigidly secured at their front ends to the platform orfin ger-beam, for co-operation with a combined reel and rake rotating ona vertical axis.

The operation of the machine will readily be understood from theforegoing description.

I claim as of my own invention- 1. The combination, substantially ashereinbefore set forth,of the slecveon the main frame, the tubular axleof the driving-wheel turning in said sleeve,the driving-shaft passingthrough the tubular axle, the ratchet-connection between thedriving-wheel and driving-shaft, the tumbling-shaft, and the gear-wheelmounted upon the finger-beam and driving both the rake and cutters.

2. The combination of the finger-beam, the frame mounted thereon, thegear-wheel carrying both an internal gear spur-wheel and a bevel-gear,the crank-wheel driving the cutters, and the crown-wheel upon which thereel and rake-arms are mounted, these members being constructed andoperating substantially as hereinbefore set forth, whereby thecrankwheel and the reel and rake-arms are driven from the samegear-wheel and all are mounted on the finger-beam.

3. A series of short spring teeth or bars, T, constructed as described,independently and rigidly secured by their respective front endsdirectly to the platform or fingerbeam just back of the cutters, andcurved horizontally to conform to the path of a combined reel and rake,whereby the rake-teeth are enabled to strike deeply into the cut grainbefore sweeping it over the platform, from which it discharges it.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a seriesof rising and falling combined reel and rake arms rotating on an axissubstantially vertical, a platform over which the rake sweeps the cutgrain to discharge it at one side of the machine, and a series of shortspring teeth or bars independently and rigidly secured at theirrespective front ends to the finger-beam or platform just back of thecutters, and curved horizontally to conform to the path of the rake,whereby the rake-teeth are enabled properly to enter the fallen grainpreparatory to sweeping it upon, over, and from the platform.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN S. ROYCE.

Witnesses:

TIMOTHY B. GRANT, Geo. K. SMITH.

